Doubront home free after early jam

BOSTON -- After escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles with only two runs allowed, Red Sox pitcher Felix Doubront felt an important decision needed to be made.

“I said to myself that’s the only inning, the next three innings or four innings I’ll just give everything to [not] see that again,” Doubront said.

Doubront followed through as he and the bullpen shut out the Orioles the rest of the way in a 13-2 victory Tuesday night. Doubront retired 11 of the 13 hitters he faced after the third inning, allowing only two singles and striking out three (seven total).

“When things could have maybe become a big inning against us, he found a way to minimize, which he’s done a number of times,” manager John Farrell said. “After that he settled in very well, much better fastball command throughout the later innings.”

Doubront retired the first six Orioles he faced before allowing a single to J.J. Hardy to lead off the third. Former Red Sox infielder Danny Valencia followed with a single before Doubront hit No. 9 hitter Steve Pearce to load the bases for the top of the Orioles order.

“That was quick,” Doubront said of the inning. “When I looked back I [had] bases loaded. That was really fast.”

After a walk and sacrifice fly brought in two runs, major league home run leader Chris Davis stepped to the plate with runners on first and third. Doubront got Davis to harmlessly pop out to third before striking out Adam Jones to end the Orioles’ early scoring threat.

“He’s shown it repeatedly,” Farrell said. “He has a way of staying under control and giving up one or two runs rather than it being a four- or five-run inning.”

The win was Doubront’s 10th of the year, one fewer than the career high he set in 2012. The left-hander said pitching out of jams was something he learned the importance of last year.

“I got in a lot of those jams,” Doubront said. “I don’t want to panic and whatever, just throw a good pitch one pitch at a time and try to get outs.”

Joe McDonald

Joe McDonald, a native Rhode Islander, joined ESPNBoston.com as a Bruins and Red Sox reporter in February 2010. He worked at the Providence Journal for 18 years and covered the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, PawSox and Providence Bruins. He's a three-time winner of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association's state Sportswriter of the Year for Rhode Island. Follow him on Twitter here.